The Ledbury Poetry Festival ticket hotline lit up on Monday after the release of the new programme. Festival director Dr Charles Bennett said the phone did not stop ringing and appealed to people who could not get through to try again. He said: "We had
I have just come back from a week's holiday in Las Vegas, courtesy of a 2-flights-for-the-price of-one air fare and a very cheap hotel voucher. (Just in case, for one remote moment, you thought that arts administrators were paid well!!) Now, I know what
WANNABE stars at University College Worcester will be donning their leg-warmers and limbering up to perform Fame the Musical. Students at the St John's campus will be dancing, singing and acting out the musical from Wednesday, May 18 until Friday, May
The Elgar Chorale will stage a Celebration of English Music in Worcester. The event, at All Saints' Church, Deansway, tomorrow (Saturday), at 7.30pm, includes work by Edward Elgar, Vaughan Williams and William Boyce. The programme mixes chorale and orchestral
THE London Mozart Players, described as one of Europe's finest orchestras, will perform at Malvern Theatres. The orchestra, joined by pianist Barry Douglas, will play Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 and Piano Concerto No.5, as well as Mozart's Symphony No.
Hundreds of people are expected to support this year's Bands in the Park season in Malvern. Priory Park events begin this month and continue throughout the summer, with performances by bands from across the Three Counties. Malvern Town Council took over
Almonry Heritage Centre Abbey Gate, Evesham. Local history. Contact for opening times (01386 446944). Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings Stoke Heath, Bromsgrove. Restored buildings including working windmill, agricultural buildings, industrial buildings
Tonight Brian and Philomena Invitation to an evening of ballroom and sequence dancing at Powick Village Hall, Powick, Worcester. Bring your own refreshments. Telephone Brian or Philomena on 01905 454338 for further details. Country Western partner dancing
Tonight and Tomorrow Stepping Out Starring Patsy Palmer at Malvern Theatres. Box office: 01684 892277. Key for Two St John's Players. A wickedly amusing comedy by John Chapman and Dave Freeman at The Norbury Theatre, Droitwich. Box office: 01905 770154
THE distinctive piano-drenched music of talented singer and songwriter Tori Amos will be coming to the Midlands later this year. Tori, born Myra Ellen Amos, was one of several female singer/songwriters who combined alternative rock with a distinctly 1970s
TALES of northern England's mining culture in song will be coming to Stourport's Riverside Folk and Acoustic Club as Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies comes to town. Jez is best known for his songs describing the mining culture, society and people of his native
A MUSICAL duo from a former Worcester band are hoping to cause a storm with their latest project after calling time on their last group. Twenty-four-year-old Jamie May was one of the original members of Rainmaker, who formed in January last year after
A NEW vehicle donated to the County Air Ambulance will help to save lives in an area including Worcestershire and Herefordshire. The charity, which covers 8,000 square miles in the West Midlands, has three helicopters, based at RAF Cosford, in Shropshire
A COUNTY MP who was one of the leading protesters against a controversial television programme has said he is disappointed after TV watchdogs cleared it. Ofcom received more than 16,000 complaints about the BBCs Jerry Springer: the Opera when it was shown
AN electrical fault in a sun-bed led to Malvern's Splash leisure pool being evacuated. Chris Barley, the centre's manager, said sensors detected the fault and set off the alarm, although there was no actual fire. "There was someone using the sun-bed.
A television company hoped love would blossom in Pershore when they chose it as the location to film a new episode of Date my Daughter. The programme features eligible bachelors who use dates with three mothers to find out which of their single daughters
The jumble sale tomorrow (Saturday) will raise funds for Berrow/Pendock Village Hall funds. If you have any jumble etc, bring it along during the morning. Doors open for business at 2pm prompt.
AT Friday's Music for All, £350 was raised for church funds. Organiser Esther Kay ensured another entertaining evening for audience and participants at this popular annual concert. Tonight (Friday), line-dancing in the parish hall at 7.30pm. Please note
COLWALL Players present two one-act plays, Something Unspoken by Tennessee Williams and World Premier by Charles Mander, with an interval hot supper at Colwall Village Hall at 7.30pm from Thursday to Saturday, May 26-28. Tickets are £10 from John Goodwin
CONGRATULATIONS to all concerned who helped make the plant sale at Hollybush Church Room a marvellous success. You certainly reaped your just rewards, with all of the hard work beforehand propagating plants etc. A fantastic array of plants and cakes met
THE funeral has taken place at St James' of one of Staunton's older residents, Albert (Bert) Panting, aged 80 years. Mr Panting was born at Redmarley but lived at Staunton all his life. After leaving school, he worked on a farm for the rest of his working
The Ledbury Poetry Festival ticket hotline lit up on Monday after the release of the new programme. Festival director Dr Charles Bennett said the phone did not stop ringing and appealed to people who could not get through to try again. He said: "We had
WORCESTER City are in talks to bring a highly-regarded 23-year-old defender to St George's Lane. City player-manager Andy Preece and chairman Dave Boddy discussed terms with the centre-half yesterday and are hopeful of concluding the deal before the weekend
THE change which comes over some people when they get behind the wheel of a car is unbelievable. Good manners, politeness, courtesy and, above all, patience, disappear once they settle into their seats, grip the wheel and the red mists descend. Those
RESIDENTS are furious over plans for a major housing development on a nationally-important Roman site. The scheme for about 70 homes, with up to 85 per cent affordable housing, is set for land which is currently a paddock , just north of Halfkey Road,
INDUSTRY in Worcester has a bright future thanks to the 'high quality' of training in key areas at a city college, Government inspectors have revealed. Ofsted visited Worcester College of Technology and, in a positive report released today, praised the
A PROPOSAL to turn the Droitwich Lido into a mini seaside resort may not have made the dimensions deep enough, but could provide the foundations for the future of the site. That was the view of Droitwich Town Council as about 40 people attended an extraordinary
IRATE residents say covenants protecting their open plan estate at Colletts Green, near Worcester, will be proved worthless if a garden structure is allowed to stay. But Malvern Hills planning officers said the building, at 14 Colletts Green, did not
POLICE are warning people not to be taken in by a letter from a clairvoyant and astrologer who asks for money. The circular letter invites the recipient to tear up an enclosed Jack of Spades playing card and destroy the "treason and disaster" that it
UPTON will push the boat out to ensure success in the annual Heart of England in Bloom competition. A cruise on the MV Conway Castle will be held at 10.30am on Sunday (May 15) to officially launch the town's bid. Guests will enjoy a trip down the River
MALVERN Rangers were without a fixture last week and play their final West Midlands League Division Two fixture tomorrow (Saturday). They entertain Shenstone Pathfinder at Victoria Park, kick- off 2.45pm, players to meet at the ground 1.30pm. Shenstone
FOLLOWING recent laudable efforts to arouse our national pride on St George's Day, I was pleased to see your front page given up last week to reminding us of VE Day and reporting that so many celebrations are being organised locally. I was reminded of
BEES really do dance - a Malvern professor is buzzing after proving the Nobel Prize-winning theory right after over quarter of a century. Miniature radar attached to the back of bees in a glass hive has been used to settle years of scientific controversy
A YOUTH hit a middle-aged woman in the face, cutting her lip, in a road-rage attack police described as cowardly. The attack happened in Spring Lane, Malvern Link, at about 6.30pm on Monday. The incident began in Moat Way when the woman drove past the
I read with interest the recent correspondence about North Site and Halfkey housing and the general development of the area. I feel many other areas in the country manage their economic affairs more successfully. Have we, in Malvern Hills area, taken
With reference to last week's letter from David Tarplett, as he finds the Malvern Hills Conservators a 'ridiculously constituted body', I find his idea of a dog-free area on the hills also ridiculous. The notion that British Camp should not host dogs
WEST Malvern completed their season on Saturday with a rearranged Phipps Cup match against Fernhill Heath Spurs, which ended in the same result as the match the week previously. WEST MALVERN 7, FERNHILL HEATH SPURS 1 West Malvern made the early running
ON a visit to your lovely town last week, I took my two pre-school age grandchildren to a well equipped play area called Dukes' Meadow, adjacent to Great Malvern Primary School. Unfortunately, our enjoyment was spoilt by a selfish young woman with a lively
MAJOR changes have been launched by the Upton branch of Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA), which has taken a new name and will restructure its operation. It will be known in future as Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue (MISAR) and, while continuing
IT is all very well Ledbury winning Fairtrade status but I do think more people should be aware that the mission of fair trade organisations is to maximise sales for the primary producers of products, regardless of wider ethical considerations. In my
THIEVES who broke into The Chase in Malvern and stole sports equipment have left the school with a bill for hundreds of pounds. A window was smashed, two tennis nets taken and a variety of sports equipment stolen or damaged. Headteacher Kevin Peck said
There is a poster at Foregate Street Station which declares the intention of Central Trains that all passengers depart on time. It says: "To help you reach your destination on time, the train doors will close thirty seconds before departure time." Do
HUNDREDS of people have written to Malvern Hills District Council complaining about a housing plan. The application by Gilbert Brooke, of Barley Farm, Alfrick, is for around 70 mostly "affordable" homes off Half Key Road, North Malvern. The council has
MY family tree contains the name M T Stevens (Matthew Thomas), a past publisher of the Malvern Gazette. He was married in 1893 to Amy Bridgwater of Bridgwaters, the bootmakers of Belle Vue Terrace. If anyone has biographical information on him, his family
THREE police officers have been commended by West Mercia chief constable Paul West. PCs Nicholas Stinton and Paul Smith had to disarm a man who was cutting himself with a knife. Sgt Matthew Hooley rescued a distressed woman from a fume-filled car on the
CRADLEY'S Martin McAleese is urging veterans not to lose the chance of a lottery-assisted visit to the places they served in the Second World War. Mr McAleese authorises grants for the Big Lottery Fund's Heroes Return scheme, which will close to new applicants
A FLEXIBLE 'phone and book' bus service will soon link the villages of Alfrick, Suckley and Leigh with the Knightwick doctors' surgery. The new rural bus service will operate five days a week and also connect with main bus route ser- vices to Worcester
A charity helping young homeless people has created extra accommodation. Malvern Hills Homeless Young Adults Trust (MHHYAT) has extended the Malvern Foyer in Spring Lane North. The building, which previously had bed spaces for 12 people, has been extended
THE decision to scrap the town party from the line-up of the Ledbury Poetry Festival is a sad loss and the reasons for that decision are even sadder still. The over-vigorous enforcement of the on-street drinking ban by the police at last year's event
WORCESTERSHIRE could complete a Derbyshire double today. The New Road side have the Frizzell County Championship Division Two basement boys in trouble after a professional bowling display yesterday. Set 329 to escape the follow-on, the visitors needed
SIR Michael Spicer is hoping to follow up his election victory in West Worcestershire by retaining a key role in the Conservative Party. Sir Michael, who beat off a strong Liberal Democrat challenge to notch up his ninth term in the seat, is standing
WORCESTER City are in talks to bring a highly-regarded 23-year-old defender to St George's Lane. City player-manager Andy Preece and chairman Dave Boddy discussed terms with the centre-half yesterday and are hopeful of concluding the deal before the weekend
The Conservatives clung on to the West Worcestershire seat in the closest election battle in recent years. Sir Michael Spicer clinched his ninth successive term in the seat, despite Liberal Democrat challenger Tom Wells slashing his majority by more than
A STARTLING 77 per cent turned out to vote in the Leominster Constituency and returned Conservative MP Bill Wiggin with 25,407 votes. Mr Wiggin secured more than twice the vote of his nearest rival, the Liberal Democrat Caroline Williams. He said he mobilised
DROITWICH Spa golfer John Bickerton struggled to five-over-par in the first round of The Dunlop Masters at the Marriott Forest of Arden club in Warwickshire. The 35-year-old trails the leaders by eight shots after toiling to a 77 in the European Tour
THE Conservatives won back the Forest of Dean seat they lost to Labour in the 1997 landslide. With sitting MP Diana Organ retiring from the Commons, Labour put up Isabel Owen but faced a strong challenge from Mark Harper, who had made gains in 2001. He
THE LIBERAL Democrats picked up an extra seat in Malvern but Worcestershire County Council is now under the control of the Conservatives. Lib Dem Clive Smith took the Link ward seat previously held by Conservative retiree Beryl Hickling, giving his party
THE Conservatives have gained Gloucestershire County Council from no overall control. The party won 33 seats to secure a clear majority of three on the council, victories including the Newent seat, which was retained by Will Windsor-Clive. Result: Newent
THERE was a big entry for the Worcestershire Golf Club's spring meeting medal competition and the majority of scoring was good. In division one, the first six players scored par or better. The top four players all returned a one under par score of 70
EASTNOR trainer Nicky Sheppard had two winners during Sunday's Wheatland meeting at Chaddesley Corbett. Lost in the Snow was successful in division two of the maiden, while Fanion De Neulliac took division two of the Conditions race. Lost in the Snow
ROBIN Jackson ended his year as Eggs golf society captain in style with a brilliant 90-minute speech at the annual end of season dinner. With Jackson presenting awards to every single player, it was never going to be a short ceremony, but the prizes were
THE annual Foley Golf Challenge, played against the Sand Hogs Ancient Golf Society, was contested in pairs and greensomes on Friday and singles on Saturday. The pairs and greensomes were played at the Bank House on a cold and blustery afternoon. With
SATURDAY FOOTBALL WEST MIDLAND LEAGUE Division Two: Malvern Rangers v Shenstone Pathfinder (2.45); Sporting Khalsa v Bromyard Town Reserves (2.45). EVESHAM HOSPITAL CUP Final: Malvern Town Reserves v Badsey Rangers (at Common Road, Evesham United FC,
You know the other day I told you I was on a diet. Well, the first week I had to have this test where you eat everything. So having said I was on a diet I walked into the cake shop, where I was told by the lady behind the counter that I was on a diet!
I have just come back from a week's holiday in Las Vegas, courtesy of a 2-flights-for-the-price of-one air fare and a very cheap hotel voucher. (Just in case, for one remote moment, you thought that arts administrators were paid well!!) Now, I know what
I WAS worried. A bout of the flu had meant I'd had to take time off work, which meant I'd missed a scheduled interview with actor Richard Grieve. Not only was I convinced he'd think I was the rudest journalist on the planet, my voice had not completely
THE London Mozart Players, described as one of Europe's finest orchestras, will perform at Malvern Theatres. The orchestra, joined by pianist Barry Douglas, will play Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 and Piano Concerto No.5, as well as Mozart's Symphony No.
Hundreds of people are expected to support this year's Bands in the Park season in Malvern. Priory Park events begin this month and continue throughout the summer, with performances by bands from across the Three Counties. Malvern Town Council took over
WORCESTERSHIRE could complete a Derbyshire double today. The New Road side have the Frizzell County Championship Division Two basement boys in trouble after a professional bowling display yesterday. Set 329 to escape the follow-on, the visitors needed
MALVERN Town cruised to a 4-0 Worcester Infirmary Cup triumph against former local West Midlands premier division rivals Bromyard Town at New Street, Ledbury, on Wednesday evening. The opening 25 minutes of the game was competitively set as both teams
Almonry Heritage Centre Abbey Gate, Evesham. Local history. Contact for opening times (01386 446944). Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings Stoke Heath, Bromsgrove. Restored buildings including working windmill, agricultural buildings, industrial buildings
Tonight Brian and Philomena Invitation to an evening of ballroom and sequence dancing at Powick Village Hall, Powick, Worcester. Bring your own refreshments. Telephone Brian or Philomena on 01905 454338 for further details. Country Western partner dancing
Tomorrow Health and Healing Show Ledbury Community Centre. A one day exhibition of holistic and complimentary health services, giving you the opportunity to sample the wide range of therapies on offer. Until June 2 Woodlands and Wildlife Exhibition at
If you have any gigs going on at your pub/venue call Joby Mullens on 01905 742252 or e-mail: jobymullens@midlands. newsquest.co.uk Friday, May 13 The Drifters - Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton. Classic Rock UK - Marr's Bar, Worcester. Rise with Daybreak,
Tomorrow Vocal Variations The group for solo singers, will meet at the Carice Elgar Room of the Elgar Birthplace Museum, Crown East Lane, Lower Broadheath, and will be performing songs about colours. For further information phone Pat Pennington on 01299896613
I WOULD like to take this opportunity to offer my sincere thanks to all those who voted for my re-election as MP for Worcester. As I said at the election count, the thrill, excitement and sense of privilege that I feel now is as strong as it was when
"SCHOOLS join forces" was the headline in the Gazette 25 years ago, revealing that Seaford Court School was to merge with the Elms School at Colwall. It was disclosed that West Midlands Regional Health Authority was planning to buy the school site in
100 years ago ON Saturday evening about ten o'clock, Mr William Blackwell Martin, turntap at the Camp Reservoir, met with a serious accident. Whilst disconnecting a belt from the machinery pumping water from the Putress Spring to the Reservoir, he was
HARD-HITTING satirical thriller Popcorn will be staged by the Pepperpot Players in Upton. Written by comic Ben Elton, the play is a fast, funny and stylish exploration of the power of the media and society's refusal to accept responsibility for its actions
THE distinctive piano-drenched music of talented singer and songwriter Tori Amos will be coming to the Midlands later this year. Tori, born Myra Ellen Amos, was one of several female singer/songwriters who combined alternative rock with a distinctly 1970s
BARNARDS Green Seconds travelled to Belbroughton on a day of changeable weather, after asking the home side to bat the Green soon made inroads into the top order. BELBROUGHTON II v BARNARDS GREEN II Sam Spencer's opening eight overs were well directed
BARNARDS Green Singles opened their Worcestershire County League division five campaign with a four-wicket success over Alvechurch and Hopwood. ALVECHURCH & HOPWOOD v BARNARDS GREEN SINGLES New skipper Ratcliffe won an important toss and asked Alvechurch
HANLEY Castle and Upton CC got their season off to the best possible start in the WCL division four with a maximum points victory against league newcomers Martley. HANLEY CASTLE & UPTON V MARTLEY Hanley lost the toss and found themselves batting on
BUSINESSES looking for advice on training are being urged to book a date in their diary for Thursday, May 26. The Skills Station, the one-stop training advice shop for Herefordshire and Worcestershire businesses, is sponsoring The Academy zone at this
KIND-HEARTED Tesco staff have boosted the work of St Richard's Hospice. Workers at the Warndon Villages store organised fund-raising events including a raffle and in-store cycle ride, and the Tesco Charity Trust added to their efforts, making a total
BARNARDS Green U15s entertained Worcester U15s in a knockout game and it produced an excellent contest. Batting first, the Green posted an impressive 123 off their 16 overs losing just one wicket when Lewis Hooper was caught off Doyle for 14. Liam Paddock
POTENTIAL buyers of collapsed car manufacturer MG Rover have until the end of today to submit offers. The Administrator, Price-waterhouseCoopers, warned that assets will begin to be sold off next week if viable proposals were not received. There has been
BARNARDS GREEN CC Saturday, May 14 1st XI v Kidderminster Victoria (Away). Meet 11.30am. C Smedley, K Golder, P Drinkwater, T Williams, R Williams, J Clarke, T Clarke, G Lewis, A Binks, C Harrison, D Flynn. 2nd XI v Kidderminster Victoria (Home). Meet
THE success of a Malvern gym has provided the inspiration for a national chain that has just been launched. Planet Fitness opened 18 months ago by fitness professional Richard Noble and wife Rachel, who live in the town. After more than 17 years in the
A NEW biography of composer Sir Edward Elgar has just been published. The author is Michael Messenger, former county librarian, a director of the Elgar Foundation and chairman of the Elgar Birthplace management committee. "It was Shire Publications who
Stepping Out is a mix of gentle comedy and clowning around as we follow the lives, loves and less than perfect dance moves of an adult tap dancing class. Taught in a church hall by ex-professional dancer Mavis (Patsy Palmer), who is full of smiles, praise
A HIGHLY polished performance by the Maggini Quartet concluded a very successful 102nd season by Malvern Concert Club. A jaunty solo phrase by the cello, repeated by the violin, began Haydn's Quartet in G, Op.76 No.1. This was followed by vigorous exchanges
A CHURCH in Worcester will be alive with the sounds of classical English music when the Elgar Chorale and Camerata performs at the venue tomorrow night. Tickets are available by from Huntingdon Arts box office, the Elgar School of Music on 01905 28613
PERSHORE Abbey is to stage a concert that will see the largest orchestra ever to have performed at the venue. It will also be the first time Verdi's great masterpiece Requiem will ever have been performed at the abbey. "It is a challenging work, a tour
I WAS worried. A bout of the flu had meant I'd had to take time off work, which meant I'd missed a scheduled interview with actor Richard Grieve. Not only was I convinced he'd think I was the rudest journalist on the planet, my voice had not completely
Tomorrow Health and Healing Show Ledbury Community Centre. A one day exhibition of holistic and complimentary health services, giving you the opportunity to sample the wide range of therapies on offer. Until June 2 Woodlands and Wildlife Exhibition at
If you have any gigs going on at your pub/venue call Joby Mullens on 01905 742252 or e-mail: jobymullens@midlands. newsquest.co.uk Friday, May 13 The Drifters - Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton. Classic Rock UK - Marr's Bar, Worcester. Rise with Daybreak,
Tomorrow Vocal Variations The group for solo singers, will meet at the Carice Elgar Room of the Elgar Birthplace Museum, Crown East Lane, Lower Broadheath, and will be performing songs about colours. For further information phone Pat Pennington on 01299896613
HARD-HITTING satirical thriller Popcorn will be staged by the Pepperpot Players in Upton. Written by comic Ben Elton, the play is a fast, funny and stylish exploration of the power of the media and society's refusal to accept responsibility for its actions
ARTHUR Miller's The Crucible is the next production by Ledbury Amateur Dramatic Society. The play runs at the town's Market Theatres from Wednesday to Saturday, May 18-21. Inspired by the McCarthy Communist witch-hunts of 1950s America, it focuses on
Malvern's Theatre of Small Convenience will play a key role in a new international puppet festival. The tiny 12-seat theatre is one of the main venues for the event, which will bring together leading names in puppetry from as far afield as Canada, Hungary
Over the past few years few wines have been as disappointing as branded Bordeaux blends. Even the market leader, Mouton-Cadet, lacks the authenticity of classic Claret. You can't help getting the feeling that these wines have been made to meet low price
A £1.5m housing scheme, which is contributing to the improvement of Droitwich's largest housing estate, has been completed. Spa Housing Association, which owns around half of the 1,300 properties on the Westlands estate, has finished work on the latest
MUMS and mums-to-be were invited to join midwives, health visitors and other mums at Worcester's Guildhall to find out why breast is best for their babies. The coffee morning was held as part of Breastfeeding Awareness Week, which runs until Saturday.
LABOURERS are busy making improvements to a car park in the Malvern Hills as part of a £30,000 Government-funded project. Work began at the British Camp car park off the A449 Malvern to Ledbury Road earlier this month and involves an island being constructed
THE contrasting fortunes between the rich and poor of professional football has been highlighted in a national lads' magazine with Kidderminster Harriers' demise in focus. With Harriers finishing bottom of the Football League and consigned to Conference
VISITORS to Hanbury Hall, near Droitwich, can gain an insight into the world of bats with a guided walk and talk on Wednesday, May 18, at 7.45pm. Expert Rebecca Collins offer a rare opportunity to see the house and some of its resident mammals out of
It was cut-throat razors at the ready for St Mary's Convent School pupils in Battenhall, who took to the stage to bring hit musical Sweeney Todd to life with vibrant 'shock and roll'.
Malvern Town Reserves Saturday, May 14: Evesham Hospital Cup final: Malvern Town Reserves v Badsey Rangers (at Evesham United FC, 6pm). RESULTS The Travel Factory Midland Football Alliance 14/8/04: Boldmere St Michaels 1, Malvern Town 1 (D Bullock). 17
VE Day on Sunday was marked in West Malvern by a memorable and moving special church service. St James's Church was well-filled with local residents and Royal British Legion members from further afield, including several Second World War veterans. With
The dedication of our war memorial stone on Sunday went like clockwork and many people were able to come and share in the event. The weather started off as being rather inclement, but quickly the clouds dissipated and we were able to remain reasonably
COLOUR and texture in the garden is the illustrated talk Duncan Coombs will be giving to Castlemorton Gardening Club on May 19 at 7.45pm at Castlemorton Parish Hall. Duncan is a lecturer in amenity horticulture at Pershore College and regularly lectures
A Car boot sale in aid of Cats Protection will be held at Knight's Cider shop in Storridge tomorrow (Saturday) from 9am-noon. An organ recital will be held in St James the Great Church, Cradley, on Monday, May 30 with Oliver Rundell. The recital will
AT the family service at St Peter's Church last Sunday morning, The Rev. David Nichol led the service and baptised baby Henry Eliot Sparrey, of Byron's Wood, and baby Angel Cerys Edwards, of Pontypool. The organist was Lyndall Brown and prayers were led
DRESSED in a smart suit with her hair perfectly styled in a neat coiffure, Julie Bolton looks every bit the well-turned out businesswoman she is. But lurking beneath her neatly pressed blouse lurks a hidden gem - a belly button ring. And that's not her
A NEW biography of composer Sir Edward Elgar has just been published. The author is Michael Messenger, former county librarian, a director of the Elgar Foundation and chairman of the Elgar Birthplace management committee. "It was Shire Publications who
THE Premiership had better watch out -- the Fortey brothers are back! It's been a while since prop Lee For-tey moved away from Gloucester in order to make it in rugby but, following twin Chris' Sixways switch, they have finally been reunited. Good news
A BLIND teenager who can not afford to go to a £23,000-a-year specialist college is hoping MP Mike Foster will today back his case for council funding. Jeremy Vernaeve, of Barnes Way, off Bath Road, Worcester, developed a condition known as Stargardts
A police crackdown on street drinking has been blamed for the loss of the town party at this year's Ledbury Poetry Festival. The free event, attended by around 1,000 people, has been a key part of the festival since its start in 1998. However, last year's
CONTROVERSIAL plans to alter a castle and museum will be discussed today. Worcestershire County Council's proposals to create a new restaurant and caf at Hartlebury Castle and Museum have been met with opposition from some parish councillors. Chairman
Bees really do dance - a Malvern professor is buzzing after proving the Nobel Prize-winning theory right after more than a quarter of a century. Miniature radar attached to the backs of bees in a glass hive has been used to settle years of scientific
FEARS are growing that 'historic' trees on the site of Worcester's old Ronkswood Hospital will be cut down to make way for a business park development and bus lane. Around a dozen poplar trees have lined Newtown Road for over half a century and have a
PUB landlords have slammed the Government's proposed smoking ban in public places, claiming it will hit trade badly. It comes as the British Medical Association published research this week indicating nine out of 10 Worcester pubs would be affected by
ME sufferers in Worcestershire are having to wait years to be diagnosed with the condition when the national recommended time limit is just six months. Government recommendations in 2002 set out that ME - a chronic illness that causes extreme exhaustion
Stepping Out is a mix of gentle comedy and clowning around as we follow the lives, loves and less than perfect dance moves of an adult tap dancing class. Taught in a church hall by ex-professional dancer Mavis (Patsy Palmer), who is full of smiles, praise
A TRIO of young golfers from a Malvern school have swung their way into the final of a regional competition. James Kear, Daniel Long, both aged 15, and 14-year-old Phil Harris attend the Chase Technology College in Geraldine Avenue. Their team finished
A HIGHLY polished performance by the Maggini Quartet concluded a very successful 102nd season by Malvern Concert Club. A jaunty solo phrase by the cello, repeated by the violin, began Haydn's Quartet in G, Op.76 No.1. This was followed by vigorous exchanges
A SENIOR councillor has blamed the 'petty spitefulness' of some of his colleagues for his removal from a top post. Labour's Roy Seabourne was replaced by Conservative Andrew Dyke as vice-chairman of the overview and scrutiny committee at Tuesday's annual
THE need for a new medical centre in Upton-upon-Severn is weighed against the disadvantage of spoiling the western approach to the town in a Civic Society report. The society, dedicated to preserving the beauty of the riverside town and its surroundings
MAJOR changes have been launched by the Upton branch of Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA), which has taken a new name and will restructure its operation. It will be known in future as Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue (MISAR) and, while continuing
A TEENAGER accused of an assault in Upton has been banned from the town at night. Tony Bennett, aged 19, is accused of racially-aggravated assault relating to an alleged incident near a mobile kebab van on Friday, April 8. The case at Worcester Magistrates
A REPORT is being complied into what caused an oak tree on Hanley Swan village green to shed a large branch. An expert will look into last Saturday's incident on behalf of the parish council. Clerk Ann Canham said the tree was more than 100 years old
THE final game of the season in the Soccer Site Malvern League season took place on Sunday when Oak Allstars met Bishops Frome in the Senior Cup final at New Street, Ledbury. Oak Allstars had played second best to their rivals for the last two seasons
WORCESTER League division one champions Powick made a brave challenge to win the Martley Cup but were denied by higher-graded Martley Spurs last Friday evening. POWICK 0, MARTLEY SPURS 1 Powick started well and put Martley under a lot of pressure but
Nearly 100,000 people are expected to visit the Malvern Spring Gardening Show. The three-day event gets underway today (Friday) and is the first major show of the year at the Three Counties Showground. Celebrity gardeners, show gardens and a massive floral
THIS game decided third and fourth place in the Worcester Sunday League division two and Radar were clear winners. MARTLEY RESERVES 0, MALVERN RADAR 5 Darren Baker opened the scoring on 20 minutes when he latched onto a pass from Matt Brookes and knocked
FREE taxi rides instead of bus passes could soon be available to some pensioners in the Malvern Hills area. Elderly people living in isolated villages such as Alfrick, where bus services are few and infrequent, would get most benefit from the district
After putting out the rubbish on Tuesday night for the bin-men on Wednesday morning, I find that they left certain bags outside our home. On looking at the bags, we discover they had opened some bags, taken what they wanted to take and just left the rest
A BOMBSHELL has been dropped by a former member of the Home Guard who has revealed the existence of a dummy mortar shell at the bottom of a pond on Malvern Common. Dennis Burrows, 82, said the Home Guard used the common to practice defence manoeuvres
I SHOULD like to thank the NHS for the treatment received a couple of weekends ago. I was taken ill on Saturday night and the doctor said - hospital. Having heard anecdotal stories of Worcester A & E, I was rather worried. However, an ambulance arrived
NEW Labour's real success is that with only 36 per cent of the vote, it has acquired a massive, though reduced, majority. How do the rest of the voters feel about this? Why were the three main parties given so much boring media coverage and the Greens
Charlotte Powell got back on a quad bike for the first time this week after breaking her back in an accident two years ago. The 24-year-old has agreed to take part in a safety film to prevent others from suffering a similar injury. Charlotte, from Colwall
WELLAND JUNIORS invite all club members to their annual World Cup Day end of season tournament tomorrow (Saturday), starting at 1.30pm at The Sports Pavilion, Upton. Cost is just £1 per player and there will be other attractions for those who wish to
Dymock'S John Lewis freed himself from a crashed helicopter and ran to his home to get help for wife Penny, still trapped and badly injured in the wreckage. The incident happened around 5pm on Sunday, after the couple were about to land at their Ockington
A headteacher retiring after 24 years has been rewarded for his services to the community. Richard Coghlan, of St Richard's School, Bredenbury, was chosen to receive one of this year's Bromyard and Winslow Distinguished Citizens Awards. Mr Coghlan started
SISTERS who have together totted up almost 200 years got a rare chance to chat at a very special celebration. Muriel George's 103rd birthday at Malvern's Mowbray Nursing Home was the first time in two years that she had seen her 'younger' sister Vera
Villagers in Cradley are losing the only direct bus service to Malvern, their nearest town. Herefordshire Council is cutting the weekly 480 bus from Leominster to Malvern from July 21. The service runs every Thursday, stopping at Bromyard, Cradley and
FEARS for the future of Castlemorton Common have prompted calls for greater public tolerance of grazing animals. Castlemorton Common Association has raised concern that difficulty in protecting cattle and sheep is causing a decline in the number of graziers
KIDDERMINSTER Harriers' future is shrouded in more uncertainty after the latest statement from majority shareholder Lionel Newton. The former chairman said he is yet to receive a written bid for the cash-strapped, relegated Conference club and has extended
WORCESTER Rowing Club members Zoe Johnson, Jeremy Richardson and Pete Crozier returned from the Belgium International Rowing Regatta with a number of medals. Johnson, a student at Worcester Sixth Form College, and Wallingford Rowing Club's Isobel Drury
WORCESTER Athletic Club's senior men's team opened the 2005 track and field season in sparkling fashion. They landed victory in the first match of Midland League Division Three at Nunnery Wood against seven other teams. Worcester took the lead from the
ANDREW Moore (Power Bar RT) won the Worcester St. John's Cycling Club Spring Road Race. Constant attacks by Moore and others throughout the 60-mile event came to nothing as the ever alert 80-man bunch quickly neutralised riders seeking to make a break
KIDDERMINSTER'S Claire Cashmore lines up against the world's number one disability swimmer tomorrow fighting another less high-profile battle -- against glandular fever. The former Hagley RC High School pupil, aged 16, takes on four-time Athens gold medallist
E3 MOTORSPORTS rider Christian Elkin notched up his third consecutive win in the 125cc race at Oulton Park during the fourth round of the British Superbike championships, extending his overall lead to 33 points. Christian, who ended the first two wet
ROB Wood, riding a private trial as a guest of Malvern cycling club Velo Club Sevale, continued his dominance of their events by winning last week's 10-mile event held on the Severn Stoke/A38 course. Guest riders Nathan Preece and Gavin Poupart took second
THE first-ever Bredon School tag rugby tournament saw more than 70 young boys and girls competing against each other in an eagerly-fought contest. Eight teams from local schools, Cub groups and rugby clubs turned out for the inaugural tournament, organised
MALVERN RFC youth development section held eighth junior presentation dinner last Friday, with 118 junior members in attendance. Joining youngsters from the U12 to U16 squads were parents and the invited guests who included Peter Doran, chairman of Malvern
MALVERN Angels attended the annual Tens Tournament at Old Edwardians and came home winners of the Plate Competition, the first piece of silverware for a ladies team at Malvern RFC. Non-league Angels were given a tough draw with two Midlands One teams
KIDDERMINSTER Harriers' future is shrouded in more uncertainty after the latest statement from majority shareholder Lionel Newton. The former chairman said he is yet to receive a written bid for the cash-strapped, relegated Conference club and has extended
A CHURCH in Worcester will be alive with the sounds of classical English music when the Elgar Chorale and Camerata performs at the venue tomorrow night. Tickets are available by from Huntingdon Arts box office, the Elgar School of Music on 01905 28613
PERSHORE Abbey is to stage a concert that will see the largest orchestra ever to have performed at the venue. It will also be the first time Verdi's great masterpiece Requiem will ever have been performed at the abbey. "It is a challenging work, a tour
WANNABE stars at University College Worcester will be donning their leg-warmers and limbering up to perform Fame the Musical. Students at the St John's campus will be dancing, singing and acting out the musical from Wednesday, May 18 until Friday, May
The Elgar Chorale will stage a Celebration of English Music in Worcester. The event, at All Saints' Church, Deansway, tomorrow (Saturday), at 7.30pm, includes work by Edward Elgar, Vaughan Williams and William Boyce. The programme mixes chorale and orchestral
MALVERN entertained local rivals Worcester Nomads on Saturday and emerged victorious after a hard-fought and even WCL division two contest. MALVERN v WORCESTER NOMADS Malvern captain David Arnold lost the toss and after six overs both openers had been
MALVERN Town Reserves and Hinton from Hereford met at Ludlow Town on Tuesday in the West Midland League division one cup final. MALVERN TOWN RESERVES 1, HINTON 2 Hinton, who have had the better of Malvern in the league with a win and a draw, got off to
Tonight and Tomorrow Stepping Out Starring Patsy Palmer at Malvern Theatres. Box office: 01684 892277. Key for Two St John's Players. A wickedly amusing comedy by John Chapman and Dave Freeman at The Norbury Theatre, Droitwich. Box office: 01905 770154
MALCOLM Meikle (Letters, May 9) suggests that the Bishop of Worcester seems to advocate a policy of do-as-you-like in society with regard to the Church's stance on the issue of the travellers. As many of us know and understand the Bishop of Worcester,
LEDBURY RFC has been chosen as one of only six venues in England to host a Rugby Football Union question time. The event will take place on Monday, (May 16),with a panel of rugby football union chief executive Francis Baron, president Malcolm Phillips
"THE large and commodious premises recently erected in the Worcester Road, Malvern Link, as a motor garage by Messrs Morgan and Co will be opened on Saturday, May 20," announced the Gazette 100 years ago. The garage was described as "one of the largest
ARTHUR Miller's The Crucible is the next production by Ledbury Amateur Dramatic Society. The play runs at the town's Market Theatres from Wednesday to Saturday, May 18-21. Inspired by the McCarthy Communist witch-hunts of 1950s America, it focuses on
Malvern's Theatre of Small Convenience will play a key role in a new international puppet festival. The tiny 12-seat theatre is one of the main venues for the event, which will bring together leading names in puppetry from as far afield as Canada, Hungary
Over the past few years few wines have been as disappointing as branded Bordeaux blends. Even the market leader, Mouton-Cadet, lacks the authenticity of classic Claret. You can't help getting the feeling that these wines have been made to meet low price
MALVERN Town Reserves play in the final of the Evesham Hospital Cup tomorrow (Saturday) at Evesham United's Common Road ground. Malvern, sponsored for this match by VT Plus Training, meet Badsey Rangers. The match kicks-off at 6pm.
TALES of northern England's mining culture in song will be coming to Stourport's Riverside Folk and Acoustic Club as Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies comes to town. Jez is best known for his songs describing the mining culture, society and people of his native
A MUSICAL duo from a former Worcester band are hoping to cause a storm with their latest project after calling time on their last group. Twenty-four-year-old Jamie May was one of the original members of Rainmaker, who formed in January last year after
BARNARDS Green entertained old rivals Belbroughton on Saturday with North End Lane looking absolutely immaculate thanks to groundsman Roy Mayo's hard work. BARNARDS GREEN v BELBROUGHTON In a match reduced to 46 overs, skipper Chris Smedley won the toss
BROMYARD continued their fine start to the WCL division two season with a 125-run victory at home to Pedmore. BROMYARD v PEDMORE After some showers, Pedmore won the toss and put Bromyard into bat, but having seen out the first ten overs the Bullock brothers
COLWALL suffered mixed fortunes on their first competitive weekend of the season when a heavy defeat on Saturday in the league was followed by a comfortable victory in the Village Cup Knockout on Sunday. Both games suffered from interruptions due to the
A WORCESTER college has been named among the top 20 per cent in the country. Ofsted inspectors spent a week at Worcester College of Technology in January to assess its teaching and learning standards - and they left satisfied with every aspect. All subject
